throwback

1 of 2

noun

throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
1
: one that is suggestive of or suited to an earlier time or style
his manners were a throwback to a more polite era
2
a
: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism
b
: an instance or product of atavistic reversion

throw back

2 of 2

verb

threw back; thrown back; throwing back; throws back

transitive verb

1
: to delay the progress or advance of : check
2
: to cause to rely : make dependent
they are thrown back upon … native intelligenceMichael Novak
3

intransitive verb

: to revert to an earlier type or phase

Examples of throwback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Styles wore his throwback TNA Wrestling shorts for the match. Fernando Quiles Jr, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Additionally, with various throwback and legacy events set at the 100th anniversary celebrating the Egyptian Theatre on upper Main Street, an archival screening of Lynn Shelton’s Humpday, which debuted at SFF 2009, is on the calendar too. Dominic Patten, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025 To celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary, Garth marked the occasion with a throwback photo from their first trip. Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025 The country twang of her Nashville origins has been replaced with sonorous synths, and in the case of Showgirl, a throwback to the retro electric guitar sound of her bestselling 2014 album 1989. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for throwback

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1656, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of throwback was in 1656

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Throwback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throwback. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

throwback

noun
throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
: something that has changed back to an earlier type or phase

Medical Definition

throwback

noun
throw·​back ˈthrō-ˌbak How to pronounce throwback (audio)
1
: reversion to an earlier type or phase : atavism
2
: an instance or product of atavistic reversion

More from Merriam-Webster on throwback

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